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Showing posts with the label Biology

The Increasing Intelligence of Neanderthals

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Some folks still cling to the image of Neanderthals as stupid brutes, but calling someone a Neanderthal as an insult is actually a compliment. The more they are studied, the more they are found to be fully human — but some evolutionists do not want to admit this fact. Neanderthals are known to have cooked with fire, had skillful cave paintings, made and wore jewelry, seem to have had religious views — and traveled extensively. In fact, they intermarried. Their DNA is found in people of European and Asian ancestry, more so in Melanesia. Neanderthal person, WikiComm / Neanderthal-Museum, Mettmann ( CC BY-SA 4.0 ), modified at PhotoFunia Odd that Melanesia is in the DNA list. We're talking about an area north and east of Australia, Fiji and those islands. I doubt that they traveled that far from Europe, but someone gave DNA to those people. Speaking of travel, the toolmaking of Neanderthals has been labeled  Quina , which is very distinct. So why is it found in East Asia? Maybe they ...

Desert Beetles Drinking

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Some weather channels and sites have news related to climates, and they would do well to post about deserts. They form under certain conditions. The Namib is a desert like a strip along Namibia and a bit north and south in Africa along the Atlantic Ocean. It is actually a cool desert (Antarctica is also a desert but obviously much colder). The air is laden with moisture, so there is early-morning fog. The darkling (or fogstand) beetle has a very interesting way of getting the water it needs in this arid region. Fogstand racing stripe beetle, Wikimedia Commons / Hans Hillewaert ( CC BY-SA 3.0 ) Since water is in the air, the beetle angles its backside into the breeze. Those bumps on its shell help it collect the moisture. Droplets are formed and directed so that the beetle can drink the water. Once again, we see that the Creator equipped a creature with special survival features, but descent with modifications evolution storytellers are unable to come up with a plausible development sc...

The Journey to Understanding Autism

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Several opinions exist regarding the nature and cause of autism, but they are disparate. Many fingers point to vaccines.   Vaccines do prevent diseases and save lives , there can be no doubt about that. Ever heard, "Correlation is not causation?" Children are diagnosed with autism at the same age range of receiving vaccines. That is insufficient evidence, and fallacious.  It has been suggested that chemicals and additives in processed foods play a part in causing it. There are other suspects as well, and deeper research is a must. Symbols of autism, Pixabay / Katamaheen Many people have autism to one extent or another. We may not even  be aware of others who have it. Indeed, some have been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome later in life and others may not know they have it. Autism manifests in different ways, and people may have hidden brilliant traits. Unfortunately, much of medical science is not only based on molecules-to-mycologist evolution, but also has a gre...

Mutants Paraded on Leashes

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Big dogs, little dogs, pointed ears, floppy ears, many varieties at the dog show. Get out the leashes and take the mutants on parade. Breeding animals for specific traits has been done for ages, but nowadays it is mostly for appearance. This artificial selection is bad for the dogs. Darwinists and creationists agree that the ancestor of all dogs was a wolf, rich in genetic diversity. Purebreds often have genetic diseases that cause pain and early death in some. Want a dog for a companion? Get a mix, which has many genetic resources to draw from. Basset Hound, Unsplash / Apostolos Vamvouras The neighbor walks her dog that looks like a pot-bellied pig, which snorts and breathes loudly. Special breeds are not only expensive, but high maintenance — and a far cry from the original created kind . Although animal breeding is done through artificial selection, many of the same aspects of natural selection are involved. Natural selection (it is out of convenience to use that phrase since there...

Reptiles are Smarter than People Think

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Up in these parts, alligators and crocodiles are unlikely to be encountered in the wild. Down Florida way, there are many millions of gators and a few crocs, but crocs are more common in southern latitudes. How to tell them apart? In the picture, one is a gator. The the other is a croc. Easy! One more: An alligator will see you later and a crocodile will see you in a while. Joking aside, there are a few visible differences . Crocs have tapered snouts, gators have broader snouts and are darker in color. Like snakes, just leave them alone. American alligator and crocodile, Flickr / Abi Skipp ( CC BY 2.0 ) By the way, judging from their similar appearances, it would seem that crocodiles and alligators could mate. Nope. Genetically, they are quite different, so there are no allidiles or crocogators roaming around. Alligators are often a nuisance in Florida and such, lumbering across the road (residents are used to it, tourists often stop for pictures) or getting into places uninvited. Sna...

Iguanas Rafted from North America to Fiji?

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A few years back, I posted an article by biblical creationists proposing that one way animals spread around the world after the Genesis Flood was by rafting. Misotheists had a grand time ridiculing it — unaware that evolutionists had been catching onto that idea. In a grandiose display of evoporn, Darwinists demonstrate that they believe reality does not compare with pure imagination: Iguanas rafted from North America to Fiji thirty-four million fanciful years ago. They must have because they live there now — which is the fallacy of  affirming the consequent . Rafting iguanas and rainbow of imagination, made by DeepAI This peer-reviewed  story is gelastic for several reasons. One is that there is no plausible mechanism. Another is that desert iguanas, not the swimming type, are the supposed ancestors of those in Fiji. Third, they could not survive such a trip. Yes, lizards have been seen rafting and presumed to successfully make some trips — but nothing nearly as long as this ...

Giant Sequoias Exhibit Design

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If you saddle up and ride out California way, head on over to the Sierra Nevada mountains. Then you can find Sequoia National Park . There you will see the giant sequoias which are the largest trees in the world. People sometimes confuse them with giant redwoods — the tallest  trees. So how did they get up there in such a limited area? There are several factors work together for giant sequoias to propagate. Also, the way water gets all the way to the top is an engineering feat. Finally, their existence and location fits the biblical timeline. Giant sequoias, one on right with fire damage, Wikimedia Commons (PD) It is interesting how in the wake of forest fire destruction comes renewal. Fires and scorched ground are essential for giant sequoia seed growth. The trees have been around for thousands of years, and can reach heights around 99 meters (325 feet). Human engineers marvel at how giant sequoias pump 1,890 liters (500 gallons) up each tree every day. Also, the Genesis Fl...

Smelly Sign of Life on K2-18b?

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Several years ago, astronomers thought exoplanet K2-18b would be a good candidate for life because of its atmosphere. Then the negative aspects were considered. One of these is that it has an orbit of thirty-three days around a red dwarf star. That makes for extreme temperature ranges. The James Webb Space Telescope was used to detect dimethyl sulfide. This is thought to only come from life, so it is labeled as a biosignature . It is an odoriferous gas produced on Earth by algae and by humans to some extent. Too much is dangerous to us. Artist concept, exoplanet K2-18 b, NASA, CSA, ESA, et al. (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) A problem for secularists is that dimethyl sulfide is not  only produced by living things. That means it's not necessarily a biosignature. There are numerous assumptions made about life on K2-18b, including abiogenesis and evolution. (Some reports that will probably be forgotten soon after their self-humiliation, lying  that ...

The Non-Vestigial Appendix

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There is, at a glance, an insignificant blob of flesh in the digestive system. Long derided as "vestigial," is the appendix. Because of evolutionary thinking, it has been surgically removed from people. Vestigial structures are considered leftovers from our evolutionary ancestry, so we do not need these vestiges anymore. Like other so-called vestigial organs, it has been discovered that the appendix is important. Evolutionists and much of the medical science community believed stories  about the past without using empirical evidence. Like "junk" DNA , they didn't understand something's function, so they labeled it as useless. The entire digestive system is complex, beginning from salivation. Organs work together. Some evolutionary sidewinders are so insistent on their lie that allegedly useless leftover prove evolution (which is assumed, not demonstrated), they even redefine the word  vestigial ! (When caught going against the truth, use semantic trickery , ...

The Amazing Design of Chameleons

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While visiting Ruby Slippers to discuss the upcoming nuptials of our mutual friends Stormie Waters and Roland Meadows, I was distracted by her pet chameleon. It was a real one, not an anole sometimes sold as a chameleon . This one was fully grown. It was feeding time, which is interesting. Ruby puts worms and crickets into the cage every other day, and I was there at the right moment. She opened the top and dropped them in. "Liz" was the name of the female lizard, and I saw an eye move and focus on lunch. Panther chameleon, Wikimedia Commons /  Charles J. Sharp  ( CC BY-SA 4.0 ) "Liz is interested. Watch and see if she —" A blur of motion and I was surprised at how fast the lizard zapped up a cricket. "There you go," said Ruby. "I'm amazed at how they were designed to have such specialized vision  and that it works with precision shooting of that sticky tongue. There's also a suction cup kind of thing on there." "Yes, clearly some sp...

Misconduct Epidemic in the Secular Science Industry

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On this site and others, many examples of shoddy science, corrupt research, bad logic, and outright fraud by secularists have been exhibited. People may shrug their shoulders and trot on because they do not care about origins research. It happens in other areas of science in ways that can affect everyone. Misconduct is rampant in the secular science industry. Many papers submitted for peer review have been retracted, but the reasons are often obscure. Pernaps the research could not be reproduced, fraud was involved, and more. Then we have the sophistry of Alzheimer's disease research. Medical lab work, Pixabay / Belova59 The word sophistry  is far removed from its original use in Greece about 450 BC. That was a person who taught certain things to children of nobility. Now it is used to mean someone who wants to prove a point but uses deceptive wording for persuasion. This kind of sophistry is common in promoting Darwinism but is also found in other scientific areas. Research on a d...

Plant-Disguise Insects Stick it to Evolutionists

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Believers in descent with modification evolution are locked into their paradigm, so they have difficulty doing much more than telling stories that fit. They put on their evolution glasses and interpret what they see through those lenses. Few ask if evolution happened in the first place, being content to evosplain how they think traits developed. Using critical thinking skills, people can see that stories about insect evolution actually lack science. The same kind of thing happens when discussing phasmids  — that group of insects that resemble leaves and sticks. Malayan jungle nymph, Flickr / Tyler Karaszewski ( CC BY 2.0 , slightly modified) There is no traceable evolutionary history for insects. Proponents use words and descriptions that include words like "probably." They also go against evolutionary doctrine by saying why  a characteristic supposedly evolved. The disguises and body part arrangements of phasmids are mysterious to evolutionists, but biblical creationists b...

Flying Fish Fluster Evolutionists

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The word flying  is used in some critters such as flying squirrels, but they really do not fly. Glide, yes. Flying fish are enigmatic. Although they do not have wings per se , they use fins as gliders and other fins as propulsion. Also, they have close relatives with similar layouts that do not fly. Disciples of the Bearded Buddha cannot explain powered flight in birds and bats, so flying fish are added and all are evosplained by convergent evolution . That is, they cannot explain single instances of flight, so gullible people will buy it lumped together. Atlantic flying fish, Wikimedia Commons / Ktsharpie (PD) Except for fossils showing that earlier flying fish had evolved the capacity to deploy machine guns on their wings and shoot down adversaries — "You made that up, Cowboy Bob!" Just checking. Something else that gives Darwin the sads is that there is no sign of evolution in the fossil record. One scientist said the fossil record on them is "very poor." I take...

Gender, Biology, and God

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It has reached the point that people demanding imaginary gender rights have much influence, even the forms to fill out with blanks for "gender you were assigned at birth." Those really put a burr under my saddle. Worse, they appear on medical forms. What! While there are sexual abnormalities and disorders, there are only two sexes and two genders. (Leave gender designations for languages.) Those who insist otherwise are science deniers. Interestingly, they tend to hate the Creator, but science and the Bible are in agreement on the fact of only two sexes or genders. Man and Woman, RGBStock /  Scott Snyder By the way, it is interesting that atheists frequently support causes on the political left such as this one, but a few are on record for saying the truth about genders . After all, someone can take hormones and have "reassignment" surgeries, but it does not change their internal structures or DNA . Transsexuals seem to be very angry and depressed people, using sne...

Life and Planetary Habitability — Working Two Ways?

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It looks like requirements for habitability on extrasolar planets are getting more complicated, even mystical. The planetary habitable zone concept was simple, where water was a must , the right kind of star, proper distance from it, and a few others to make the Goldilocks Zone. Not only are hopes of finding lucky planets in that zone dimming , there is speculation that for a planet to be able to support life, it must have life. Sounds like the concept is folding in on itself, but it is being considered. HD 149026b (Smertrios),  NASA  / JPL-Caltech / T. Pyle (SSC) (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) Study on it a spell: Living things have an impact on their environments. (For example, beavers help ecosystems and supposed climate change . Also, creatures under the ground have tremendous effects.) Researchers examined the energy that critters produce, which is significant — and it was from a limited number. Someone wondered if the need for an ecosystem is an ar...

Water is Amazing and Necessary

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There is nothing more pleasant than a cold glass of dihydrogen monoxide, even though it is often used as a solvent or to cut through rock. (Expensive alternative term for water there. Baffle your friends.) As anyone in searching for extraterrestrial life knows, water is essential. When put under tremendous pressure and tightly focused, waterjets cut through rock and metal. It is a solvent because it dissolves quite a few substances. Earth is mostly water, though most of it is not in drinkable form. The human body contains a large percentage of water. Small waterfall on river, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen The three basic states of matter are solid, gas, and liquid. Interesting that there is a huge — indeed, yuge  — range of temperatures in the universe, but water is only liquid within a few degrees. Earth has the right kind of star to let water exist in this important state. Water's specific heat characteristic helps keep the temperature of this blue marble rather steady. Oh yes...

Evolutionists Make Fools of Themselves in Nitrogen Network Studies

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One way to spot a fool is when someone says or believes, "There is no God." This is also seen through life choices as if the Creator and Judge does not exist or care (Psalm 14:1). While believers in molecules-to-microbiologist evolution may have been taught only evolution, they are still without excuse (Romans 1:18-23). Perhaps their efforts to deny the truth are increasing, as there is quite a bit of silliness passed off as evolutionary research. Consider the inane logic in studying nitrogen networks. Aminotransferase monomer, Wiki Comm / Deposition authors - Mcphalen, C.A., et. al . Visualization author - Synpath (PD) Amino groups get transferred from amino acids to keto acids — a very important function. These amino groups are the building blocks of proteins. Using tendentious tree of life formulas and the scientific principle of Making Things Up™, some owlhoots decided that "all of life" worked together to create the complex nitrogen network. No evidence, thoug...

A Flock of Bird Evolution Stories

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When reading numerous creation science articles, one can gain knowledge on many topics. A subject that frequently occurs is that birds are more intelligent than most people think. (Of course, when American Robins stand on concrete roads listening for worms, their intelligence is questionable.) Crows are demonstrably more intelligent than apes, and their corvid relatives are also quite bright. Darwin's disciples have demonstrated the truth that evolutionary thinking is unnecessary. On the other hand, some seem compelled to insist on inserting evolution to make their research seem more sciencey and stuff. Crows in a tree, Unsplash / Foad Roshan In the post featured below, the first two subjects do not spend much time on Darwinian ideas, so real science may be possible in areas of emu intelligence and energy efficiency in sea birds. Crows are smart, so what does "caw" mean? (I say, "Hi, guys!" but they do not reply.) AI was hooked up to study voice inflections for ...

Cloning a Woolly Mammoth

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Weird dreams causing fatigue, work pressure, and other things made me want to just be alone. My reading by lantern light was interrupted by the sound of a buckboard approaching. I inwardly groaned, but was pleasantly surprised to see Stevia Dolce, the baker from the Darwin Ranch. She brought croissants. Those and her pleasant demeanor put aside my gloom. Stevia heard Dewey Lye and others at the ranch talking about efforts to clone a woolly mammoth and was intensely curious. Yes, there is talk about that among certain scientists. Mammoth sculpture image cropped from Pixabay /  hansbenn Using a passel of deep time and evolutionary presuppositions, scientists think that humans killed off the Ice Age animals in Siberia. They brought in several cold-weather critters to deal with the wetland, but it only got worse. Cloning a mammoth (well, a hybrid with an existing elephant's DNA and the mammoth DNA) should solve the problem. Not hardly! Using a biblical creation science Ice Age model wo...

Concealed Layers of Design

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Those with Atheism Spectrum Disorder suppress evidence for the existence of God that is clearly seen (Romans 18:1), needing to repeat the mantra that things only appear  designed. They would have to count many Darwin beads and chant very fast when seeing hidden layers of complexity. In medical science and other areas of biology, advances in technology enable us to view microscopic things we never realized existed, such as cellular machines. In the trees, under the soil, in the oceans are amazingly complex worlds testifying of the Designer. View of Onteora Lake, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen George Washington Carver was a Christian and a creationist. He prayed for wisdom, and God guided him to discover about 300 uses for the peanut. The peanut . It was designed to have many uses. Indeed, Proverbs 25:2 tells us that God has concealed things, and kings discover them. They are not hidden because he does not want them found, but concealed so his work is gradually seen in many areas. H...